A Halloween day
by ssoko
Summary: Thanks MeaE for the idea. Hope you like it. Please read and review.


**Typical declaration**: I do not own any of the characters, story, and series of Tarzan. Edgar Rice Burroughs and WB created them. I am not selling, or making any kind of profit off this story I have written. No infringement is intended. This is solely for my own enjoyment and the enjoyment of others. (At last, that is what I hope).

Author Note: after writing the Christmas story, mae-E (a member of asked me to write a Halloween story. As I never experienced this celebration she gave me invaluable indications. I have to thank Becca (Walks) to endure stoically my endless questions. Wow, she has a saint's patience lol.

Probably it will be useless but read and review pleases…

**A Halloween day.**

To live into this city was not easy for a creature like him. For the civilized people New York could be like paradise but he could not share that appreciation. Even he had inhabited in this metropolis for two years John Clayton Jr, also known as Tarzan, could not understand some of their rules and customs. The festivities, for example, were an alien concept for him and this one, especially, was one of the craziest he ever watched.

His aunt Kathleen tried to explain him how Halloween, pumpkins, candies was linked to this celebration but it was useless. He could not understand this bizarre fascination professed by the humans to the death. For him it was just another phase of living.

The jungle man walked barefoot heading toward Jane's apartment. The disguised street and the pumpkins were a show he liked to see, strange but funny. However, he noticed that he was not the only one watching it. In the corner of the street a ten years old kid observed, with unhidden fascination, all around. His hazel eyes sparkled as he met the gaze of the ape-man. "Halloween is my favorite day," the kid explained, "I love to watch it…" he cocked his head, "like you."

John observed as the boy kept walking. Yeah Halloween was a perfect day for odd people.

He reached Jane's building and climbed easily the wall. Her window was open welcoming him. He heard her voice humming on the kitchen at the same time someone knocked at her front door. He hesitated for some seconds. She was busy so he decided to open the door himself.

He had to lower his eyes to find five little devils recited together "Trick or Treat."

He tilted his head frowning, "Trick or treat?"

"They want goodies" Jane's voice explained behind him, "there is a basked plenty of it near the door, gave it to them."

The jungle-man looked at the expectant children's face as they opened their bags. "Ok…" he grabbed the basket, sank his hand into the goodies, filled it, and emptied it inside of each one of the children' bags. The kids were grinning from ear to ear.

"Thank you zir." A little one with huge green eyes and golden curls tossed his pants asking him to kneel beside her. The noisy kiss made him smile. The human curbs were so cute.

Ok, human traditions could be strange but pleasant. He watched the giggling girl ran after her friends toward the next neighbor's door.

When he rose, he found Jane gazing mockingly at him. He showed the empty basket and she laughed grabbing it. She opened a drawer and filled the basked again. "Ok sweet jungle man, next time, please, gives a handful for each kid, because if you empty the basket every time that they come, it won't be enough…"

She took one candy and put it into her mouth. He smiled leaned in, "let me taste it…" and he kissed her. His tongue touched the sweetest into her mouth just when Ms Pabush, a neighbor, cleared her throat. He smiled chewing while Jane blushed. "I like this celebration." He assured.

"Does your friend like devil's celebrations?" Ms Pabush snorted scandalized.

Before Jane could reply John asked, "What is a devil celebration?"

"Halloween!" She said as matter of fact, "we should not celebrate Halloween."

"Why?"

The woman studied his face for some seconds, "You are too blond to be foreigner young man, but I forget that is just your second year on States." Jane startled hearing her words. How could she know it? "Let me explain." She intoned as an old school teacher talking to a little fool child, "Halloween it is a sad return to the old paganism habits. It is not a simple and harmless disguise party or healthy joke. If you look into the macabre aspects of the Halloween, you can realize easily that there is a danger associating since to pagan ideas related with the occultism, and it is a dangerous way to let influence our child's younger mind for the devil itself…"

Tarzan listened carefully to what she said but her speech turned confused and repetitive. It was hard to follow the thread of her conversation. What he could understand of what she said was that Halloween was linked somehow with the demon, devil, or Satan.

The concept of Devil itself was hard to understand. It seemed a good excuse to blame another one but us for incorrect actions. '_It wasn't me_; _it was the devil that forced me to_…' It surprised him the easiness with which the humans found a way to accuse others for their own shames.

"Sorry Ms Pabush, I know that John is enjoying your monologue but we have an appointment and we have to get ready for it…" She smiled and slowly closed the door, then looking at him she assured, "behave well or I call her to patronizing you a little more…"

Instead of freaking out, he just beamed. "So Halloween is a confusing celebration. In one hand, you have harmless children jokes but it can be interpret as manipulation of dark forces. In the middle, you have dead people walking, or witches, or macabre pumpkins on the street. And… in the other hand, you have an unstoppable consumerism. Did I get right the meaning of Halloween?"

"I think you just have been able to interpret Halloween in the most twisted way I could ever hear." She said walking to her bedroom, "Ok, let me take a shower and we can go out to witness the conjunction of the wicked forces into this celebration…"

"You take a shower…" his eyes sparkled mischievously tossing his T-shirt on the bed, "I like the idea…" He smirked fallowing his ladylove to the bathroom.

"Oh! Yeah, probably you need to clean those dirties ideas that are crossing your mind right now…" She tossed him inside, "I clean yours and you clean mine…"

…

Two hours later, the naked lovers were resting on the bed. Her head was comfortable on his chest while his fingers played with her auburn curls. "I'm happy that Ms Pubush didn't ruin our evening with her speech." She whispered as her lips brushed his tan skin.

"I like the idea of dead people walking."

"Oh! Yeah, this is exactly what a romantic evening need… dead people." She raised her face to look at his eyes, "and why do you want to see dead people?"

"Perhaps I could see my parents one more time."

Sometimes the best answer was to keep quiet, besides there was nothing she could say to him to ease him. She enfolded his torso and his stomach bawled loudly. Both laughed. "It seems that some jungle lord is hungry after make love…" His belly howled again. She stood up tossing of his arm, "ok, there is another corporal hunger that we could satiate easily…"

…

After three hamburgers and a mountain of French fries, Tarzan satisfactorily patted his belly. One thing he really liked of the civilized world was the food accessibility. He didn't need to go out to hunt every time he was hungry. It was a safe and boring way to get food.

As he stepped outside the store, he took the shoes off his feet and handed it to Jane. She rolled her eyes and put them into her bag.

They walked hand by hand on the sidewalks. When Jane watched the shops windows John saw the odd kid once more. He was in the same corner John found him this morning, with the same blue jean, the same white shirt and a backpack on his back.

The ape-man approached and kneeled beside him. "What are you doing here?"

The child smiled recognizing him "I could not find my way home," he explained, "Would you help me?"

Tarzan spun his head looking at his mate, "Could we?"

"Of course, do you know the address of your house?" The boy grabbed his backpack and took out a notepad. He opened so she could read it, "it is not too far from here."

Tarzan stood up offering his hands. When theirs fingers intertwined a tremble crossed through his body. They started to walk toward the address the kid just had shown.

Once again Ms Pubush's words came back to John's mind. "Up till now we didn't see any frightening thing," gazing at Jane he assured, "just kids with their disguise."

She beamed, "Here our friend doesn't wear any."

"That's not true." The boy made an annoyance grimace, "I am disguised!"

"Yeah?"

"Yes. I am disguised of a boy!" He replied almost offended.

"Ok… if you say so."

Suddenly the kid stopped. "Here is my house." He announced loosing John's hand. "Thank you both" He climbed the stair and spun saying, "I would like to see you next year. Bye" Then he ran through the door.

Jane went pale, "He has just crossed a closed door!"

Tarzan simply beamed.

(There is no Halloween story without a ghost right?)

The end (Fin)


End file.
